Canberra Hospital will review security at a playground inside the children's ward after reports a man intentionally dropped a baby on its head and ignored its screams while talking on the phone.
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Heather Foggett, who regularly visits the hospital with her charity Capes 4 Kids, witnessed the incident in the George Gregan Foundation Playground and submitted a formal complaint condemning the hospitals' handling of the situation.
Ms Foggett, who was visiting the paediatrics clinic for a routine appointment, was shocked when her daughter ran out of the playground to tell her a man had thrown his baby into a metal seat and was yelling at it.
In a formal complaint to ACT Health on November 12, Ms Foggett said by the time she arrived in the playground the man was holding the baby on his hip while talking on the phone.
"The next step has brought me to tears while I write this. He then dropped that baby - right in front of me - on the baby's head," read the complaint.
"Yes I'm serious, he was holding [the] baby, baby was pulling at the cellphone, he opened his arms holding baby and head-first that baby tumbled to the ground and rolled over.
"To my horror he stood there talking on his cellphone while [the] baby was screaming."
Ms Foggett has alleged staff at the hospital, including a paediatric nurse, were hesitant to intervene when she reported the issue because the playground was not seen as their responsibility.
"Her reply shocked me to the core. Here's me standing in a hospital, not only that the children's part of the hospital, her reply [was] 'it's a public playground' what!" she said.
"Eventually, and I do mean eventually, she said she would go in and talk with the man. I left feeling sad for the wee person this had happened to."
When Ms Foggett complained about the incident she was told by ACT Health Director-General Dr Peggy Brown "the hospital will explore adding signage advising that the playground is not supervised by hospital staff".
"I understand that an experienced registered nurse responded to the issue when informed of the situation by the administrative staff member you spoke to," she said on behalf of former Chief Minister and Minister for Health Katy Gallagher.
"The nurse then assessed the infant who was observed to be well and spoke to the infant's father"
But an ACT Health spokeswoman said Canberra Hospital had since reviewed the security in the playground and decided a duress button should be installed.
"This will allow anyone to contact security immediately," she said.
"As with any part of the hospital grounds it is the responsibility of parents to watch their children carefully. Parents are reminded of this on the clearly displayed signage on the entrance to the playground."
Despite assurances from ACT Health, Ms Foggett was not satisfied with the handling of the incident.
"I'm angry I never did anything myself. I'm angry the hospital did not call a priority for help [and] they did not immediately get medical help after what I had just seen," she said.
"I'm sad and horrified another human, let alone a parent, could possibly do this. I'm shocked it happened in front of me and sweet stuff-all was done about it.
"I hope your staff actually didn't just stop and talk but took that child from him. I hope your staff actually checked that baby over, that's the least they could have done."
The ACT Health spokeswoman said the paediatric nurse who responded to the incident did not believe the child was injured or in danger.
"The parent who bought the incident to the attention of hospital officials was urged to contact police if she believed further action was necessary," she said.
